Real name sharing on Xbox One

With the Share my real name option, you can let people on your friends list know your real name, and let them share your real name with their friends, making it easier to discover people you already know on Xbox Live.

How to turn on the “Share my real name” option

It’s easy to turn on the Share my real name option and select which friends you want to see your real name. Here’s how:

Press the Xbox button to open the guide.

Select Settings.

Select All Settings.

Select Privacy & online safety.

Select View details & customize.

Scroll right until you see Share my real name.

Select the current setting to expand all options, and then select whom you want to share your real name with. By default, all accounts are set to Block.

You can also choose to share your real name with friends of friends. This would allow someone to find you even if they don’t know your gamertag.

How to turn off the “Share my real name” option

You can turn off the Share my real name option at any time by following the steps in the previous section and selecting Block in Step 7.

The “Share my real name with friends of friends” option

The Share my real name with friends of friends option lets you find friends you may not have realized were on Xbox Live. It also lets friends discover you through a mutual friend.

To find friends through your friends:

Press the Xbox button to open the guide, and then select Friends & clubs.

Select a friend’s gamertag, and then select View profile.

Scroll to the right to view whom your friend is following.

Frequently asked questions

If I don’t share my real name with someone on my friends list but my friend does, can that person see my real name through friends of friends?

No. Your real name will remain hidden from that person regardless of whether your friend is sharing real names with that person. Your preference is honored first.

How do I tell if someone can see my real name?

Here’s how:

Press the Xbox button to open the guide, and then select Friends & clubs.

Select that person’s gamertag.

Select Relationship. Look for the Can they see my name? button under Report or block.

This shows whether that person can see your real name and which friend is sharing your name. If you want to change the real name sharing permission for this person, you can do it here.

Can I block someone from seeing my real name if they aren’t on my friends list?

Yes. To block a specific person from seeing your real name, add that person to your block list by selecting block under Report or block on that person’s gamercard. See Mute or block other players on Xbox Live.

Can other people see the real name of my child?

No. Real name sharing is not available for young children. Teens can share real names, but only if an adult in the family enables this setting for their account.

How do I edit how my real name appears?

You can edit how your name appears at account.microsoft.com. Select Your info, select Edit name, and then update the name you want others to see.